elfology

— He had prepared such a fine pedestal for her, draped her in so many beautiful illusions. But if she was an elf, there was no keeping an elf on a pedestal. No sooner had he arranged her there nicely, than off she flopped in her elfish way, scattering the illusions he had attached to her, as it were, a Salome shedding her seven veils. So he fluttered between his beliefs and doubtings. Had he been better versed in elfology, he might have employed more blunt, more masterly tactics; […]